Trapped within the confines of the house, the group found themselves teetering on the edge of paranoia, each member acutely aware of the potential threat looming outside.
The mere thought of Randell and his allies lurking in the shadows sent shivers down their spines, leaving them hesitant to even so much as glance out the window for fear of what they might see. Natalie stood at the window, her fingers clenched tightly around the blind, her gaze fixated on the outside world as she strained to catch a glimpse of any movement.
Meanwhile, Carl was stationed upstairs, tasked with keeping watch as he had been instructed. The weight of responsibility hung heavy on his young shoulders, his senses on high alert as he scanned the horizon for any sign of danger.
With every creak of the floorboards and rustle of the wind, his grip tightened on the weapon at his side, ready to defend his family and friends at a moment's notice. "He's out there," Andrea sat down trying to contain herself. "Why can't we be out there doing the same thing,"
"We stay together, that's what my dad said," Natalie had defended Rick looking out of the window just to see nothing but darkness in the distance, surrounding the trees.
The Barn always knew what darkness was, it was surrounding the place more and more as the day went on. "Rick also said we are going to let him free either way, what if he just ran into the woods..." Carol stood up looking in the direction of Natalie, acting as if the girl knew what she was doing in the moment. When truthfully she didn't know anything that was going on hoping someone was going to come in and have a good idea of what they should do.
Lori looked at her from the sidelines, Eyes her daughter and knowing everything that was going on inside of her mind. "It's for everyone's safety that we stay inside, Rick, Shane, Glenn and Daryl will all be back until then we wait." Explaining to the group in more simple words. T-Dog nodded and walked out into the kitchen. Hershel didn't say anything standing next to the door of the house.
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Inside the woods, the darkness had surrounded all of the men. Shane, Daryl, Rick and Glenn had decided to split up in groups of twos so that they could make more way around the large woods.
Rick and Shane continued to walk loomingly up the hill, Shane guiding the blinded man that was behind him. Rick saw through everything that was going on in the moment. He didn't think Randell had just run off, he knew Shane had something to do with it.
"Does this way feel right?" Asking the man hoping he was going to stop and go back to the Farm as if none of this had happened.
Shane stopped walking turning and looking at Rick through the darkness inside of his vision controlling him in the moment. "Right as any," Slowly shifting on his feet.
Ducking his head down and eyeing Shane wishing he was going to take this back. "Snatched your gun, huh?"
Nodding his head slowly; "Yeah,"
"It's my favourite piece too," Shane said causally trying not to act like something was wrong. "Gonna wish he'd--wish he'd kill me when I find his sorry ass," Nodding his head for Rick to walk in front of him. "Come on," Listening Rick had gone in the front and started to walk.
Shane watched Rick walk in front of him holding the new gun that was on his waistband.
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Within the confines of the house, Natalie remained fixated near the window, her fingers tracing the curve of her waist with a nervous energy. The weight of responsibility hung heavily on her shoulders, a palpable force that demanded her attention. Sensing her daughter's unease, Lori approached with a gentle reassurance, her steps deliberate as she closed the distance between them.
"You can sit down, you know," Lori offered softly, her voice a soothing melody amidst the tension that lingered in the air. Mother and daughter stood side by side, their gazes locked on the outside world, each lost in their thoughts.
Natalie, her resolve evident in her tone, responded to Lori with a mixture of determination and defiance. "I know," she affirmed, her voice steady despite the underlying tension. "Rick told me to keep watch," she added, crossing her arms protectively over her chest. "So that's what I'm going to do. Carl's doing the same thing upstairs," she continued, gesturing towards the staircase nearby, a silent acknowledgement of the looming threat that surrounded them.
As Natalie shifted her stance, her hand brushed against her waist where her gun should have been. Panic fluttered in her chest as she realized it was missing.
Furrowing her brow, she glanced down, her heart pounding in her ears. "Everything okay?" Lori's voice cut through the silence, her concern etched on her face as she watched Natalie closely.
Natalie hummed in response, unwilling to voice her growing unease. Her instincts screamed at her, warning of impending danger. The realization that her gun was gone sent a chill down her spine, her gut twisting with a sense of foreboding.
As she stared out into the darkness, her heart raced, her mind racing with the implications of Shane possessing her missing weapon, a tangible reminder of the dangers that lurked just beyond their walls.
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As they ascended the hill, their footsteps crunching softly against the dirt beneath their boots, the absence of trees provided an eerie backdrop to their surroundings.
The landscape stretched out before them, barren and desolate, devoid of any signs of life save for the two figures making their way steadily uphill.
Shane trailed behind Rick, his hand firmly gripping the gun nestled in his holster, a weighty reminder of the responsibilities that now rested upon his shoulders. With each step, the weight of the weapon pressed against his hip, a constant presence that served as a stark reminder of the dangers that lurked in the shadows.
The rustling of leaves echoed through the stillness, the sound seeming to envelop them in a cocoon of anticipation. It was a symphony of nature's whispers, a haunting melody that underscored the gravity of their mission.
Every rustle, every whisper of movement, sent a shiver down Shane's spine, a silent warning of the dangers that lurked just beyond their line of sight. "Must've slipped through the raters in the roof." Shane pointed to the moment that they had noticed Randell was missing inside of the shed.
Shane had stopped walking with Rick slowly walking up stopping when he was a good distance away from Shane. He knew what was happening; Shane was going to try and kill him. The wind blew loudly; Shane was taking a deep breath the steam coming out of his mouth.
Rick ducked his head placing the gun inside of his holster. "This is what you're going to plan to do." Shane didn't say anything with his breath being shown into the air. He knew Rick knew what he was about to do.
"It's a good place as any" Shane shifted again.
Turning his head ever so slightly; "At least have the balls to call this what it is--" Before looking fully at Shane who pulled out the gun that was inside of his pocket that belonged to Natalie. "Murder."
The two of them had started to circle one another eyeing them. "You believe if you walk back onto that farm alone-- No me, No Randell--" Shane had tried to silence him, with his best friend did not listen and continued. "You believe they're gonna buy whatever bullshit story you cook up?"
Almost not fazed by any of this. "That's just it. It ain't no story. I saw that prisoner shoot you down. I ran after him." Telling the truth for the first time to someone in a while. "I snapped his neck. It ain't gonna be easy, but when Carl...Natalie, they'll get over you. They did it before. They're just going to have to do it again" Snapped the gun to the front of him and pointed it towards Rick. Shane had deeply exhaled his breath into the gun.
"Why?" Now walking in the direction of Shane knowing he wasn't going to pull that gun. "Why now? I thought we worked this all out."
Laughing at this idea that Rick was talking about "We tried to kill each other man." Pointing out the obvious tension that was between the two of them. "What do you think? Are we just gonna forget about it all? Are we gonna ride off into the sunset together?"
"You're gonna kill me in cold blood?" Now anger was flowing through Rick's body. "Screw my daughter!?" Raising his voice. "MY BABY!? YOU GO HER PREGNANT? AND SAY YOU LOVE HER- YOU WANT HER TO HATE ME, Is that what you want?!"
Shane eyed Rick not having a single true thought inside of his head. "She's an adult." Shane tried to argue with that again. Rick shook his head laughing at this statement.
"Either or, that's my girl..." Rick pointed at himself, "That life won't be worth damn. I know you. You won't be able to live with this."
Lowering this gun, which Rick wanted to happen. For Shane to get his guard down to maybe stop this. "What do you know about what I can live with? You got no idea what I can live with, What I can live with! You wanna talk about what I can do, Rick!"
"How about what you can do?" Putting the gun inside of his belt. "Here I am." Opening his arms hoping the man in front of him was going to shoot him. "Come on, Man, Raise your gun. What happened Rick!? I thought you weren't the good guy anymore. Ain't that what you said? Even right here, right now, you ain't gonna fight for 'em?"
Rick didn't say anything staring at Shane with anger he was trying to control. "I'm a better father than you, RICK. I was here for Natalie more than you were man, It's 'cause, I'm a better man than you, Rick. Cause I can be here and I'll fight for it. You come back here and you just destroy everything!" Shane shouted towards him; a dirty smile on the corners of his face.
Heavy breathing in Rick's face as he didn't say anything. "You got a broken woman." Slowly trying to break Rick to do something. "You got a weak boy....A daughter who is pregnant by your best friend" Ducking down taunting. "You ain't got the first clue in how to fix it."
Pointing his gun towards Rick who didn't say anything just stood there. "Raise your gun." Shouting into his face and pointing it towards Rick.
"You're gonna have to kill an unarmed man." Not complying Rick had opened his arms out for Shane to shoot him. "You know Natalie will never talk to you ever again, Watch my hand, nice and easy" Slowly Rick went to grab his gun, Shane looked excited by this. Rick points the gun towards him; holding the front of it and letting Shane grab onto it.
Rick had slowly walked closer holding the gun towards Shane waiting for him to grab it. "You listen to me Shane, there is still a way back from this, nothing is happening here, we're going to lay down our guns and walk back to the farm Together, Back to Natalie...Lori...and Carl. Put this all behind us..."
Slowly Shane went grabbing onto the gun Rick had handed to him. But Rick had other ideas grabbing onto Shane's head and holding him still so that he was able to miss the shot. Stabbing his best friend in the heart, gun fires in the distance with Rick shushing Shane, who cries out blood coming from his mouth, gurgling the blood. The only thing on Shane's mind was dying with Natalie knowing, without being there for the baby she was going to have.
The only thing on Rick's mind was Natalie's protecting knowing if he didn't stop this now. Shane was going to get more violent not listen anymore and maybe kill someone else. "Damn you for making me do this, Shane." Holding the knife to his chest; "This is you, not me! You did this to us! This is you, not me!" Rick continued to shout.
Pulling out the knife, Shane started to bleed out looking in the direction of the farm, and grabbing the side of Rick's face. His body slowly relaxed into itself. "I'll take care of her," Rick cried out tears in his eyes, "And the baby," Holding onto Shane's hand as his best friend slowly died; there was a simple what looked to be a head nod.
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Natalie stood in the dimly lit living room, the weight of her crossed arms and legs mirroring the tension that hung heavy in the air. The sudden crack of gunfire pierced through the silence, sending shockwaves through the house and jolting everyone into a state of alertness.
Instantly, the room erupted into a frenzy of questions and concern, voices overlapping in a cacophony of panic. Carol's urgent inquiry cut through the chaos, her eyes wide with fear as she rose from her seat, eager to rush outside. However, Lori intercepted her, a firm hand halting her in her tracks.
"They found him!?" Carol's voice trembled with anxiety, her body tense with anticipation of what might come next.
Lori's expression was grave as she nodded solemnly, her gaze locking with Carol's. "That means they'll be back," she stated matter-of-factly, her words laden with a sense of foreboding that hung heavy in the air.
As the gravity of the situation settled over them, Natalie rose from the couch, a determined set to her jaw as she silently made her way towards the kitchen. With a thoughtful frown etched on her brow, she rubbed the side of her mouth, her mind racing with the implications of the gunshot.
Moments later, Natalie slipped out of the house unnoticed, her footsteps soft against the dirt as she hurried towards the source of the commotion. She alone understood the depths of Shane's capabilities, the darkness that lurked within him threatening to consume them both. It was a twisted narrative that played out in his mind, a dangerous game that Natalie was all too familiar with.
And as she disappeared into the night, a sense of unease settled over her, a silent acknowledgement of the perilous path she had chosen to tread. Running with the wind inside of her hair, Natalie jumped over tree branches in the way running closely to the hill.
Before seeing it. Her whole body felt like it was shuttering it. Stopping out of her control feeling like her body didn't want to go closer. "Dad?" Calling out for Rick, seeing the man on top of someone..."Shane?" Knowing that what she didn't want was for him to not say anything back. "Shane?" Stumbling closer to the man, Rick grabbed onto Natalie stopping her from seeing that he was the one who killed Shane. "Shane? Dad...wha-"
Searching the tears in Rick's eyes; she felt herself hyperventing. "Go back home with your mom" Cupping the back of her head; "Yo-...You shouldn't be here, Iris.."
Natalie's hand went down grabbing onto Rick's gun and holding it. "Do-" Rick thought she was about to shoot him for killing Shane. It had to be obvious what he had done inside of his mind. "Na-" Trying to hold her hand and stop her.
The sounds of groaning gained Natalie's attention as she looked and saw Shane stand up. Quickly Shane speeded up towards the two of them, Tears formed inside of her eyes with memories; fiddling with the '22 necklace that was still around her neck never leaving it. "Iris." Rick continued to call her gaining her attention. "Put...Put the gun do-"
Snarls came out of Shane's mouth with Natalie moving Rick out of the way and shooting Shane with the sound of the gunshot hitting her ear blaring inside of it. Natalie had shot him directly in the head sending the man back.
Shaking with the girl crying and stumbling over to Shane. "No..." Rick stopped her grabbing onto her arm and eyeing the man's dead body in front of him. Ducking down Natalie held onto the side of his face, where she had put a bullet inside of his head.
Memories flowed through her eyes all the times he had been there. 'Take the shot' were the words Shane said inside of her head. Knowing that he would've taken the shot if it was her. She sobbed with Rick going down and holding onto Natalie knowing that she didn't have no one else but family and her only thought and worry was this baby.
"Dad? Iris?" Carl's voice gained their attention. Turning Natalie looked at the little boy in the distance; wiping the tear from her eyes acting like it didn't kill her inside. Kill every bit of her.